And love that is always true.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Do you believe it is never
acceptable to put yourself first? Do you feel guilty if you don’t jam
forty-eight hours of tasks into a six hour period? Do you force a brave smile
and try to meet everyone else’s expectations even though you’re so exhausted
you’d rather curl up in a corner and wish the world away?

If any of the above describes you,
perhaps you’ve just lost your way.

I’ve come to realize life is much
like making your way through a treacherous swamp. Sometimes what looks to be
the safest patch of green grass turns out to be a sinkhole and before you know
it, you’re up to your nose hairs in despair.

Despair is dangerously toxic. Complete
loss of hope is fatal.

After surviving an abusive
childhood, I still struggle to navigate this swamp. Even now, heavily armed
with a supportive spouse and wonderful children, despair sometimes creeps in
and poisons me. Hope leaves me and I wonder if my parents had a point. Maybe the
world would have been better off without me. Maybe I was the greatest mistake
they ever made.

Then just when my head is about to disappear
below the surface, a firm gentle hand nudges me onto safe solid ground. Be it
God, fate or my guardian angel smacking me on the back of the head to get my
attention, I’m pulled free of the soul-sucking quagmire, given a good shake to
ensure I’m listening and settled back on the path. I’m always left with the
distinct impression that I have work yet to do. And to successfully complete
that work, I must do as follows:

Take
care of my body. I know it sounds simple but to a sedentary desk diva who
lives on coffee, junk food and maybe one healthy meal a day, this was a big
step. I’m happy to say I’m a month into my membership at a local Curves
(women’s only gym) and three weeks into a nutritionally balanced diet. I feel
more energized than I have in a very long time. It’s amazing what the right
food and exercising with good friends can also do for the mind. Please don’t
tell my doctor. He’ll just do the I-told-you-so dance. The jokes on him though.
The healthier I get, the less he sees me.

When I leave the day job and go
home, I leave work at work. My
workload cares less if I live or die. Why should I grant it the power to kill
me?

Give
myself permission to be flexible. It’s okay if I don’t write every day and
churn out a novel every three months. I started writing to escape stress and
leave something behind once I’m gone. I’m thrilled to have four books published
and a fifth under contract. I adore my readers and appreciate their kind words
and support more than they’ll ever know. So, it’s okay to let the stories ease
into “being”. Stories can’t be forced. Quality over quantity.

Be
still and listen. Sometimes the answers can’t make their way through all
the day to day chaos clogging up my mind. I disappear into the woods, breathe
deep and listen.

Realize
what really matters. What happens if the house isn’t spotless every single
day? What happens if all the clothes aren’t washed and the sink is currently
housing a day’s worth of dishes? What happens if I don’t take care of all these
things before I collapse into bed? You know what happens? Nothing. They’ll get
done eventually. I love exploring old cemeteries and reading the epitaphs. I
can’t remember a single one that said: In loving memory of her clean house,
starched clothes and spotless china.

Above
all –watch for others who may have
lost their way. Maybe I can help guide them to solid ground. After all, sometimes
even a simple smile can light up a dreary swamp.

Friday, August 23, 2013

1. Law of Mechanical
Repair - After your hands are fully coated with grease, your nose itches
and you need to pee.

2. Law of Gravity
- Any tool, nut, bolt, or screw dropped, rolls to the least accessible corner.

3. Law of Probability-
The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of what
you are currently doing.

4. Law of Random
Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone
always answers.

5. Supermarket Law
- As soon as you get in the smallest line, the cashier calls for help.

6. Variation Law -
If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move
faster than the one you are in now

7. Law of the Bath
- When the body is fully immersed in water, the phone rings.

8. Law of Close
Encounters - The probability of meeting someone you know increases
dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

9. Law of the Result
- When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

10. Law of
Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the
reach.

11. Law of the
Theater.- At any event, the people whose seats are farthest from the aisle,
always arrive last. They are the ones who leave their seats several times for
food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance.
The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs
or big bellies and stay to the bitter end of the performance. (I can say this
because I’m an ‘aisle seat’ kinda person.)

12. The Coffee Law
- As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your spouse will ask you to
do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

13. Murphy's Law of
Lockers - If there are only 2 people in a locker room, they will have
adjacent lockers.

14. Law of Physical
Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced jam sandwich landing face down on a
floor, are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet or rug.

15. Law of Logical
Argument- Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about

16. Law of Physical
Appearance - If the clothes fit, they're ugly.

17. Law of Public
Speaking - A closed mouth gathers no feet.

18. Law of Commercial
Marketing -As soon as you find a product that you really like, they stop
making it.

19. Doctors' Law-
If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time
you get there you'll feel better.. But don't make an appointment, and you'll
stay sick.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

A
warrior’s wardrobe

By
Juli D. Revezzo

If
you’ve read romance and historical romance for any length of time you’ll
undoubtedly run across a few clichés. Sometimes, they’re so expected you just
know what you’re going to get. The happy ending, the vampire falling in love
with the drip of a girl. There’s also the thing about Braveheart. Every other
historical novel set anywhere in or near Scotland seems to have a guy in a
kilt. So much so, fans of the genre have a joke about it (what does a Scot wear
under his kilt?)

Well,
I’m a stickler for accuracy, and so in researching my debut paranormal romance
novel, PASSION’S SACRED DANCE, which features Irish Celts, I went looking for
their mode of dress. I found to my
surprise that, according to the historical sources, the ancient Celts didn’t
wear kilts. Traditionally the men wore tunics—called a leine—and thews, which
are basically just trousers. Even the Scots didn’t adopt the Kilt until the 1590s
according to one source I read and the Celts adopted it even later than that. Yep,
sorry, ladies. Historically, the Kilt wasn’t part of a Celt’s wardrobe.

It
seems to make sense. I mean, who wants to run around a battlefield in a skirt?
Something that could easily get snagged in your chariot’s wheels?

On
the other hand, there was this separate group among the continental Celts (that
is, those that stayed on the Continent of Europe) called the Gaesatae. These
men had a distinct ritual dress for their war preparations. The Gaesatae would
shed all their clothes and march into battle stark naked. Yep. Not. A. Stitch
between them and the sky.

Can
you imagine seeing your enemy walk out on the battlefield with a little more
than just a flag flying? >;) Interesting image, huh? One must be quite bold
to do that.

Unfortunately,
the weather at the time PASSION’S SACRED DANCE takes place was a bit too cold
for such attire. However, my heroine Stacy does get an eyeful of the hero Aaron
from time to time. Would you like a peek?

Excerpt:

She
drummed her fingers on her desk. On the other hand, could she afford not to see
it? Sheer curiosity if nothing else would kill her. “Do you know why he brought
the diary to your attention, and not to mine directly?”

Aaron
shrugged. “I guess because I teach his son.”

He
waved a hand. “Stick fighting, you know. Martial arts.”

Made
sense. “Still…” she sat back in the chair and crossed her arms, “I don’t know.”

“As
you wish.” He tapped the letter. “He can give it to the university. I’m sure
they’ll be interested.”

She
picked up the note and hugged the stationery protectively. “No, no. I’ll go.”

Her
gaze went to his, and butterflies dashed around in her stomach. A vision
flashed before her of how his eyes might look glazed over in passion. “Maybe we
should go.” She cleared her throat, stood and moved to the filing cabinet,
changed her mind and went to the

desk
again.

The
fabled diary! She was beside herself with excitement. She’d have the diary.
What a month this was turning out to be. “When can we meet him?”

Aaron
came forward and ran a finger over the calendar’s slots. “How about tomorrow
morning?”

“Yes.”
She nodded emphatically. “Perfect. Nineish?”

“Tomorrow
it is.” He nodded and turned toward the door.

The
thrill of this discovery overwhelmed her. An urge to kiss him in thanks struck
her hard in the chest.

“Aaron?”

He
met her gaze, waiting.

Her
brain screamed, halt! She wanted to touch him at least. Her fingers twitched.
She stepped back.

She
just couldn’t. “I’ll see you at nine.”

He
turned away with a knowing glint in his eyes.

She
was such a fool.

****

Stacy
Macken would be the death of him, Aaron thought, as he tugged off his boots and
jeans. They’d parted a good hour ago, but he still couldn’t get rid of the
sensation of having her close or the sheer need to kiss her.

As
the water burst from the faucet, he heard it—the soft melody of his ringtone.
Sighing, he turned the water off and sprinted into his bedroom, snatching his
phone from the bedside table. The display shone bright with a name that
darkened his mood. Laurco Çubiry.

Aaron
frowned. What the blazes does he need?

What’s
going on here and what does an Irishman wear under his kilt? I really can’t
say. You’ll have to look into it yourself! I do know what some of them wear
into battle though—and in the shower. ;)

Blurb:

Battling
mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery.
When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the
attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her
savior in disguise--but can she trust him?

Aaron
intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect
humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can prove what
he claims, she would give up anything to help--even the gallery he claims is
sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic battle, she
needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if
only they can find it in time.

If
the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five
hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.

About
Juli D. Revezzo:

Juli
D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring
everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and
the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths” of the 19th century.
Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The
Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station
Quarterly. She also has an article and book review or two out there. But her
heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of Independent Authors Network
and Magic Appreciation Tour. Passion’s Sacred Dance is her first paranormal
romance novel.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Maeve’s Web site
theme is Magical Romance Sifting Through
Time, so I thought her readers might enjoy reading about my new release, a
romantic thriller/historical from The Wild Rose Press, Under the Moon Gate, because it traces two romances in contemporary
and WW II Bermuda.

Have you
ever seen a Moon Gate? If you’ve been to Bermuda, chances are you’ve come
across one, or walked under one. When I visited Bermuda for the first time, I
fell in love with moon gates, which is why a moon gate is featured on the cover
of my new novel. The words Moon Gate are
also featured in the title of the book and moon gates are an integral theme
throughout the story. A lot of action takes place in the shadow of the moon
gate.

Moon Gates
are a very special tradition in Bermuda. As a matter of fact, they are a
national symbol. Moon Gates are
circular, ornamental arches, used as an entrance or gateway to a garden, built
of Bermuda stone. Legend has it that people, especially young lovers and
honeymooners, who step through a Moon Gate, are blessed with good luck.

According to
the jeweler, Astwood Dickinson, where I bought my gold moon gate pendant, from
their Bermuda collection, to celebrate the launch of my new book, it is said
that when a newly married couple “steps through a moon gate,” arm in arm, they
are completing the circle of life. This is supposed to bring lifelong
prosperity and happiness.

According
to Astwood Dickinson, the Moon Gate is considered mystical because it is
believed that the design and the legend of the Moon Gate originally came to
Bermuda from the Orient. The first plan for a Moon
Gate in Bermuda was brought from a Chinese garden in 1860 by a local sea
captain (and a sea captain is also featured in my book). The Bermuda Moon Gate is slightly different from the
original Chinese design, as it is often left free-standing or attached to low
wall.

No one is
exactly sure when or how, but the first Moon Gate in Bermuda is believed to
have been built when the former gardener of the Duke of Westminster in the
United Kingdom was employed to design the formal gardens for the British
shipping organization Furness Withy.
That was in the 1920s and it was the first of the Bermuda Moon Gates in
hotel properties. Today, the same design—with an enlarged keystone at the top—decorates
the entrance to many Bermuda gardens, homes, patios and pool areas.

Some of
Bermuda’s most famous moon gates go nowhere, but the legend of their magical
powers remains. So if you should see a mystical, magical Moon Gate while you
are in Bermuda –step through it and make a wish.

I saw my first Moon Gate at the Marriott Castle
Harbour Hotel (now closed) in Bermuda, one of the settings mentioned in Under the
Moon Gate.

Excerpt from
Under
the Moon Gate:

Patience yanked
open the thick Bermuda cedar door, ready to brush off the unwanted visitor. Instead, she
experienced a shock of recognition when she stared at the man standing before
her. Taking a step back, she examined him cautiously. With long black hair,
pulled back by a stark white tie, stunning blue eyes, and a fabulous face that
managed to look both sensitive and sensuous, he could easily pass for a
dangerous pirate.

Perhaps she was daydreaming or
hallucinating. She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night—or any night in the past
month—and she had been reading a romance with a lusty pirate hero on the
cover. Probably she still had pirates on the brain. Although the man at her
door was in desperate need of a shave, he intrigued her. Her “pirate” was a

tall, imposing presence in
tight-fitting but ragged khakis, with muscles bulging out of a snug,
sweatstained white T-shirt.

Good Lord! was the first
coherent thought that pierced her brain. She might have said it out loud had
she been capable of speech. Her grandmother had said someone would come for
her, but certainly she didn’t mean so soon and definitely not this brash pirate

person. And what was he doing at
her door, unannounced and unwelcome, on a Sunday afternoon, disturbing her
peace and leaving her speechless? One look at this man and she was about to
toss all thoughts of proper behavior out the window.

If you would
like to read Under the Moon Gate, (Kindle
or print version) click this link

Both books are
set in Bermuda. Both are historicals. Here are the blurbs:

UNDER THE MOON GATE

Dashing
sea captain Nathaniel Morgan sails into the life of prim and proper Bermuda
heiress Patience Whitestone and threatens to expose her family secrets at any
cost. The two are immediately at odds when Nathaniel moors his vessel in front
of her estate and refuses to leave until he finds the cache of Swiss gold he’s
convinced was buried somewhere on the property during World War II. Can
Patience save herself and her family’s reputation when she finds herself
reluctantly drawn to this determined “pirate”? Or will someone from the past
make good on his threat to destroy them both? Their fate is inextricably linked
to Nazi plots and to the beautiful moon gates of Bermuda in this compelling
tale of love and intrigue.

DESTINY: A BERMUDA LOVE STORY

Prequel to UNDER THE MOON GATE

The relationship of star-crossed lovers Elizabeth
Sutton and Edward Morgan founders off the coast of Bermuda with the shipwreck
of the Sea Venture in the seventeenth century. Edward is seduced by the
captain’s daughter and trapped into an unhappy marriage, but he and his new
wife continue the voyage to Virginia to rescue the starving Jamestown Colony.
Elizabeth, still in England and pregnant with Edward’s child, receives Edward’s
letters telling of the shipwreck but knows nothing of his marriage. When her
child is old enough, Elizabeth follows Edward as far as Bermuda. Will he return
and will the lovers be reunited, or will their eternally entwined souls search
forever to fulfill their destiny?

Sunday, April 21, 2013

This year seems to be slipping through my fingers --extra hours at the full time job, two books in the editing phase and a new story in the works have my too short days flying past me at warp speed. Burnout sneaks up like damp, cold fog threatening to smother each and every creative spark. So I stepped back and relaxed this weekend. Here's a few pictures of the lovely time we had with our daughter, granddaughter and of course, Jasper on the first camping trip of the season.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A Highlander in Her Past is now available in several "ereader friendly" formats at the fine retailers listed below! And be sure and read to the end --there's a lovely giveaway!

Sometimes even soul mates need a push in the right direction, especially when that direction crosses centuries.

How bad could one little spell be?

Trish Sullivan, archeologist and favorite aunt to the MacKay children never thought she'd regret those words until Ramsay, eldest MacKay lad hurls them back to the 1400's with a botched transportation spell. Now she and Ramsay must find a way back before accidently altering the past and unknowingly changing the future. That is, if Trish can survive the first trip across time without losing her life...or her heart.

What harm could come from a little soul-binding?

Proving his Highland honor alive and well, Maxwell Sullivan agrees to bind his soul to Trish's in order to save her life. But Highland honor isn't much help when Maxwell loses his heart to the sassy woman headed back to the future.

And to celebrate my official release date, I think a contest is in order. Don't you? To celebrate this exciting day, I'm giving away a $10 Wild Rose Press Gift Certificate to TWO lucky readers. The Wild Rose Press has lots of wonderful authors to choose from and who knows? Maybe you'll decide to try a few of my other books while you're there.

The contest runs through Saturday, April 6, 2013. So be sure and tell my little rafflecopter buddy below that you'd like to be in the drawing!

Magic surrounds us. All we must do is open our hearts to receive it. My daughter has a keen eye for just such magic. I hope you enjoy these pictures she took one evening at her home.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

What modern day convenience or
necessity would you miss most if you suddenly found yourself plopped smack dab
in the middle of the past? I’m talking way
back. Like over six hundred years ago?

I’m not sure what I’d miss the
most. Probably toothpaste and my electric toothbrush. I’m a bit OCD when it
comes to smooth, clean teeth and replacing the stale after-taste of my last
meal with minty fresh breath.

What about you? What would you
miss the most? Read on to find out Trish’s picks.

~Trish Sullivan from A HIGHLANDER IN HER
PAST:

Deodorant.
Tampons. Toothpaste. Steaming hot showers. Grape soda. And ice cream. What she
wouldn’t give for a humongous bowl of tongue-tingling butter pecan ice cream.
Which item did she miss the most from the future? Hard to say. Probably a three-way
tie between tampons, the shower, and ice cream. Leaning forward on the window
ledge, she gave herself to the velvety blackness of the starless sky. She
caught her breath, a sudden feeling of claustrophobia wrapped around her and
squeezed. The black of the night reached out like an endless, suffocating
blanket. Strange how dark the night seemed when there wasn’t any sort of
manmade lighting piercing through its folds.

Sometimes
even soul mates need a push in the right direction, especially when that
direction crosses centuries.

How
bad could one little spell be?

Trish
Sullivan, archeologist and favorite aunt to the MacKay children never thought
she'd regret those words until Ramsay, eldest MacKay lad hurls them back to the
1400's with a botched transportation spell. Now she and Ramsay must find a way
back before accidently altering the past and unknowingly changing the future.
That is, if Trish can survive the first trip across time without losing her
life...or her heart.

What
harm could come from a little soul-binding?

Proving
his Highland honor alive and well, Maxwell Sullivan agrees to bind his soul to
Trish's in order to save her life. But Highland honor isn't much help when
Maxwell loses his heart to the sassy woman headed back to the future.